In Too Deep
by ongoingAccident
Summary: Instead of Grumman becoming head of the military after the promised day, someone else took control. B-day fic for the wonderous Ivyshort! AU
1. Chapter 1

In Too Deep

Prologue

A/N: Yet another new fic… This takes place 20 years after the manga and is SERIOUSLY AU. And is my b-day gift to my loverly beta, IvyShort. ^^

Disclaimer: How many times do I have to tell you people that I don't own FMA?

After the Promised Day, Frank Archer took the opportunity to seize control of the government, creating a reclusive parliament with himself at the head. He ordered the execution of Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye, and the excommunication of all who had helped them in their coup. However, due to the time taken to reconstruct a government, this order was not made until one year after their coup. Now, all family and friends of former Colonel Mustang and his former Lieutenant are living in Xing, protected by the emperor.

That's the theory, anyway.

18 Years After the Execution

"For your final project this year, I want you to research and present a paper on a controversial topic in our countries history. The guidelines are on the sheet of paper you picked up in the beginning of class. Dismissed."

Elizabeth looked over at her best friend Talia. "What are you going to write your paper on?"

Talia shrugged. "What everyone else is going to write on, I guess. How we used to have a dictatorship."

Elizabeth nodded slowly. "Yeah…"

Talia looked over at her friend. "What are you planning on writing about?"

Suddenly, Elizabeth looked up as if shocked. "I've got it! I'm going to write about Mustang and Hawkeye!"

Talia slapped a hand over her friend's mouth. "Are you crazy? Are you trying to get us both killed?"

Elizabeth smirked. "Mr. Malloy said we could write about any controversial topic. And that's the one I'm choosing."

Talia grimaced. "You're not going to find anything on those two. All that any of our textbooks say is that they were murderers who destroyed an entire culture almost single-handedly."

Elizabeth stopped walking and looked at her friend. "But is that the truth?"

Later That Day

"Aunt Chris! I'm home!"

Elizabeth waved at the girls scattered around the bar. Her 'older sisters' were both the waitresses and the entertainment at the small bar she had grown up in. She hadn't known her parents, but the small home was always filled with more than enough laughter to make up for that.

Her Aunt Chris strolled into the room, smoking a large cigarette. "Yes, Elizabeth?" Aunt Chris was a large woman, her once-dark hair now fading to gray. She wore a large boa around her neck, and smoked like a chimney.

"Do you know anything about Mustang and Hawkeye?"

~OWARI~

A/N: If you haven't caught on yet, Aunt Chris is… I'll let you figure it out. XD Yeah, I'm mean. Well, review please! ^^


	2. Chapter 2

In Too Deep

Chapter Two, which is really the first chapter, but let's call it chapter two, complete with dramatic pauses!

A/N: Thanks to Laur and The Lazy Beta (^^) for reviewing! Much love to Ivy for subscribing to the story, and a shout-out to everyone reading this.

Disclaimer: I am sick and tired of telling you people what you already know- I DON'T own FMA.

Last Chapter: "Do you know anything about Mustang and Hawkeye?"

Elizabeth watched as her aunt froze, her eyes widening. "Girl, are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Elizabeth gave a smirk that tugged on her aging aunt's heartstrings. "I have a history assignment on a controversial topic, due in a month. If I'm going to college to major in history, I can't do the exact same thing as everyone else."

The corners of her aunt's eyes crinkled. "Just like them…" she trailed off, looking into the past.

Elizabeth gave a questioning look that was missed by her aunt as she shook her head as if to clear it. Her aunt motioned for Elizabeth to follow her. She walked past the bar into the stairwell, Elizabeth following close behind. Chris sat down on one of the stairs, and patted the empty space next to her, wordlessly asking her niece to sit next to her.

"Elizabeth, there are some things you should avoid in life," Chris paused, figuring out how to word what she wanted to say. "This is one of those things," she turned her gaze on the young girl. "I'm not going to be able to deter you, am I?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "If anything, you made me more determined to figure out what actually happened."

Chris sighed. "You're so much like them… Very well, then. It's not safe to talk about here, but if you go to Xing, there are some people there who should be able to help you. Here, I'll give you some names."

About twenty minutes later, Elizabeth was on her way to the train station to buy tickets for a train to the Eastern border, a list of names in her clenched fist. She smoothed out the crumpled paper before reading the names to herself once again.

Elizabeth kept her eyes on the last name, even as she walked through the crisp air, pondering whether or not Grumman was a last name. She figured it was an alias for someone who used to be powerful, possibly an old political figure.

Elizabeth made it to the train station just before it closed, purchasing one ticket to the Eastern border, where she would have to traverse the desert to make it to Xing.

She took her time going back to her aunt's bar, contemplating the fact that the woman who had raised her must have known the two infamous murderers. Her aunt was a decent person from Elizabeth knew of her, but she wasn't around the woman every moment of every day. Elizabeth shook her head to clear it. Her aunt Chris had taken her in so that she wouldn't become a ward of the state, even though her hair was graying and wrinkles were appearing on her face. State wards were only given what was needed, and that meant a basic education and then a life in the military.

Just then Elizabeth had a startling thought – what was she going to do about school? She couldn't just leave in the middle of the – oh, right. They had break for the next two weeks for the country's largest celebration of the whole year, Victorium. The celebration honored the formation of the small country and the defeat of those who tried to conquer it. All of the schools were off, as were most workers. The only places that generally remained open were places selling necessities like food or clothing, and even those places shut their doors on the last day of the two-week celebration. Victorium was basically a large carnival for two weeks of the year, where children played games in the streets and people caught up with old friends.

Elizabeth loathed Victorium, and was grateful she got to miss it. To her, it was a sadistic militarized ceremony celebrating bloodshed, and her aunt agreed. Then again, if she thought about it, Aunt Chris didn't like anything military, and Elizabeth had just picked up on her views.

Maybe she really didn't know her aunt as well as she thought.

A/N: Well, there's chapter two! ^^ I love this future version of Amestris, because I pretty much feel like I can do what I want! ^^ It's really cool, but I'm only borrowing Arakawa's tools. ^^; Either way, thanks for reading, and I will love you forever (not creepy at all) if you drop a review. Much love to IvyShort, as always, for being a magic unicorn!

~MC

Ivy here! WHEEEE!


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